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Happiness = Chocolate!!

I know, you all thought I was going to discuss "working out" for Feel "Goot" Friday . . . BUT YOU'RE WRONG! Feel "Goot" Friday is going to be all about Chocolate! That delicious, smooth textured, melt-in-your-mouth, euphoria producing gift from the Aztec, Olmec and Maya Civilizations! And one of the wonderful "comfort" foods that we were told to" give up" if we wanted to lose weight, get healthy, clear up acne and regain good health. Well . . . medical experts are now claiming that chocolate is quite healthy and beneficial for you. Here's are 9 reasons from Women's Health magazine why chocolate is beneficial for you:

A healthier heart

Weight Loss

Happier Kids

Diabetes Prevention

Reduce Stress

Sun Protection

Higher Intelligence (I must be a genius!!)!

Cough Relief

Diarrhea Relief

The Huffington Post claims that chocolate improves eye vision, improves blood flow, boosts your mood, decreases stroke risks and fills you up (I guess they've never met me!)! Even staring at a photo of chocolate, I start to drool!
So what's a person to do when they don't eat processed sugar and processed fillers? They resort to making chocolate themselves or they find the experts who do! I will be sharing recipes with you to try.
Let me start by saying, you can drink your Chocolate Mylk (this is not a typo -- there's no "milk" in my chocolate "mylk) and eat it too. I make this Cocoa Banana Smoothie (which is almost like my "magic elixir" smoothie minus the greens). I drink this anytime I want a chocolate milk or just a pick me up. The raw cocoa in this provides the natural caffeine I need.
Cocoa Banana Smoothie
[caption id="attachment_741" align="alignnone" width="150"] Chocolate Banana Smootie[/caption]
1 Banana
2 dates pitted (I use Medjool - they're large. Use what you like and adjust the number for sweetness. Or use raw honey or agave. I haven't tried this with Stevia).
1/4 cup almonds (you can use almond butter if you'd like)
2 tbsp flax seeds
2 tbsp shredded coconut
2 tbsp raw cocoa powder
3 cups water (throw some ice in as well)
Put in high speed blender for a minute or so and enjoy!
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Here's a really simple recipe for Brownies. These don't last in my house at all.
RAW Chocolate Brownies
[caption id="attachment_742" align="alignnone" width="150"] Raw Chocolate Brownies[/caption]
1 cup whole walnuts
1 cup medjool dates (pitted)
1/3 cup cocoa powder (I use Raw)
1/4 Maca Powder (if you have)
Pinch of salt
Put all the ingredients in you food processor and process until combined. Don't over-process or the walnuts get too "oily". Press into a glass 8X8 glass baking dish, cut into pieces and enjoy! Five minutes and you're done!!! (feel free to double this recipe as well)! *You can use this basic recipe to make "cake pops" or pie bottoms.
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My facebook friend, Heather Pace of Sweetly Raw and Food and Yoga for Life is a fabulous Chef who creates the most AMAZING Raw Chocolate Recipes. I've only made her Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake, but have not tried any of her RAW Chocolate Recipes. This is an actual photo of some of Heather's Raw Chocolate Bars. I have yet to try making these, but it is my goal. I don't have any "chocolate molds" so I will be spreading the mixture on parchment paper, setting it that way and then breaking it into "Bark".
[caption id="attachment_743" align="aligncenter" width="100"] Heather's Raw Chocolate Bars[/caption]
Also, Heather also created a magnificent "E-Book". You can go on her website Sweetly Raw to see how you can order this book.
[caption id="attachment_744" align="aligncenter" width="121"] Raw Chocolate Dream[/caption]
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And last, but not least, if you don't feel like making your own creations and just want to buy it, you need to check out the chocolate from one of my favorite RAW Enthusiasts, David Wolfe (yes -- the persona behind the NutriBullet Infomercial). He and his colleague Steve Adler, created Sacred Chocolate - a raw chocolate sensation. The cocoa is slowly stone ground below 115° Fahrenheit and is certified organic and vegan.
"Sacred Chocolate is clearly the best chocolate bar ever.
Take one bite and you will know that Sacred Chocolate has cracked the cacao code!"
-- David Wolfe, author of Naked Chocolate.
So now we know that chocolate is beneficial to your health! Feel free to eat it WITHOUT the last ingredient that's always included in a good piece of chocolate -- GUILT!!! Whether you decide to make it yourself or purchase it, and in my case - it's both, the most important thing is that you just . . . .

Ellen DeGeneres shared a joke on her show yesterday . . .

What do you call a noodle in disguise?

An "Impasta"!!!!!"

Today's blog will focus on the "IMPASTA". Finding a great pasta substitute is every Rawist, Paleo follower, gluten sensitive , egg sensitive person's dream. A pasta incognito!!! When one suffers from sensitivities or has omitted certain foods from their diets by their own free will, they often feel they will suffer emotional damage if they don't have their old "comfort" foods handy. Pasta is one of those foods!
In today's recipes, I will share how you can have your "pasta" and eat it too!!! Please note that these recipes may call for a certain piece of equipment that you may not have. Don't panic! There are ways around it. There are ALWAYS ways around it.
Jenny Cornbleet is a Raw Food Instructor who has a wonderful website called Learn Raw Food. I am going to share her recipe for Pasta Marinara. This photo is actually Jenny's Zucchini Pasta with "Not Meatballs". Read this full blog page for Jenny's suggestion for "Not Meatballs". Delish!!
[caption id="attachment_686" align="aligncenter" width="120"] Jennifer Cornbleet's Zucchini Noodles with "UnMeatballs"[/caption]
Here is the actual photo of my Zucchini pasta with "unmeatballs" when I made it . . .
[caption id="attachment_696" align="alignnone" width="150"] My Raw Zucchini Noodles with "UnMeatballs"[/caption]
One of the most common pieces of kitchen equipment that one uses to make zucchini pasta (or carrot, beet, etc.) is the Spiral Slicer or Spiralizer.
[caption id="attachment_705" align="alignnone" width="150"] Spiralizer[/caption]
There are different versions of Spiral Slicers. But no need to run out a buy one. You can always julienne a zucchini.
I'm including another link for Zucchini Pasta. This one includes "Unmeatballs". It is from the Foods For Long Life Blog.
If you don't like zucchini and want to be adventurous, you can always try my kelp noodle recipe. Or try some of the recipes from one of my favorite RAW Chefs Heather Pace. I love reading her blog and trying her recipes. Check out her Oodles of Noodles from her Blog Sweetly Raw (which has recently changed to Food and Yoga For Life.
Be adventurous and don't be intimidated by trying something a little unusual. The taste of raw food is simply divine because you're not cooking out all of the essential nutrients and flavors.
Whichever you decide to try, and you may try all, whatever you do, just have fun and experiment and . . .

Going Raw for Face And Body

Once I stopped eating anything processed, I searched for ways to stop using anything processed. Shopping at the "Natural, Whole" Supermarkets - I found these products to be extremely expensive. I knew in my gut -- there's got to be a way to do this myself.
That's how I found Katie, The Wellness Mama. This is one of the BEST websites that I could ever recommend! This young woman AMAZES me. When you look up Earth Mother in the dictionary -- a link to her websight is the definition!
Katie makes everything herself -- from scratch using only organic, natural ingredients. She gives great tips and recipes for food, beauty products, cleaning products and grooming products.
I originally found this recipe for her Moisturizing Bar.
[caption id="attachment_659" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Wellness Mama Lotion Bars[/caption]
I made these using my Silicone Muffin Pan so my bars came out more like "pucks". I got six "hockey pucks" moisturizing bars out of this recipe. I'm nearly at the end of the last one. I believe I made them over 6 months ago. Never ever, has a bottle or jar of moisturizing lotion lasted six month in my house (unless I didn't like it and didn't use it -- therefore wasting money). These make wonderful gifts to give. Find your favorite essential oil and just add them as the last step in the recipe. Put a ribbon around them or put them in a box -- and Voile! You've got a truly wonderful gift made from the heart ♥!
Now many of you will not have the ingredients at hand to make these Bars, so here's a little secret of what I use EVERYDAY as my moisturizer. I use Coconut Oil.
[caption id="attachment_662" align="aligncenter" width="80"] Expeller Pressed Coconut OIl Organic[/caption]
It's not greasy at all and makes my skin glow. I also rub a little on my hands and do the ends of my hair. I don't use any hair products at all anymore!
One more tip that I got from The Wellness Mama that I would like to share with you ladies is the recipe for the "Natural Bronzer" (keep in mind that this recipe is very similar to her "Natural Dry Shampoo"). I use this as my blush and it's all natural. All you need are 3 ingredients:
1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/3 Cup Cinnamon
1/3 Cup Arrowroot Powder*
This is the basic recipe for bronzer/blush. If you feel you want to go darker -- add more cocoa. If you want to go more red or orange -- add more cinnamon. Plus, you walk around all day smelling like a "Brownie"! It smells great!!! If you find you have too much "shine" on your face and want to tone it down -- just use the Arrowroot Powder on a Blush Brush. Arrowroot Powder has the silkiest feel to it. It's luxuriating!! It's so much better than those Mineral Powders the ladies are buying. And it's all natural.
Maneuver around The Wellness Mama's site. I have made my own deodorant, toothpaste, lipstick, mascara (that I need to work on -- it needs to be perfected) and face cleanser and exfoliante!!! I keep promising myself a full weekend to play mad scientist in the kitchen, but so far, I haven't had the time. However, with the Holidays coming, I'd better set some time aside!!
Try your hand making some of the recipes from The Wellness Mama website. Subscribe to her emails! I do and can't wait for them to arrive on Sundays! The most important thing you can do, however, is just . . . .

How to Make the Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

Yes, I prefer a RAW diet lifestyle, but in all honesty, eggs are the one food that EVERYONE in my family will eat! My gluten-free/dairy-free daughter can eat them (Yippee!!!!), my vegetarian daughter will actually eat eggs (hallelujah!!!!!), if I feel as if I really need to eat a cooked protein - I will eat eggs and my husband likes to start his day with a hard boiled egg. Hence, there is where the problem lies . . . . . . .
Lately, when we made hard boiled eggs, they did not peel easily. We tried every trick in the book that we had heard of . . . . bring eggs to room temperature before cooking them; use older eggs; add vinegar to the water; add salt to the water . Nothing worked. We stopped serving Deviled Eggs at our parties, because the albumen (the egg white) had chunks missing from the shell not letting go and pulling the egg whites with it. They looked horrible.
[caption id="attachment_641" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Typical Shell-Shocked Eggs In My Home[/caption]
Can't serve those up. Stopped trying.
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This morning, I decided to give it another shot. I took out 4 eggs and let them rest for 5 minutes on the counter. In a small pot, I covered them with water from the faucet (not hot -- not cold) and put them up to boil. Once they boiled, I shut off the heat and covered with a tight fitting lid (I left it on the same burner). I went about my business and gave it about 20 minutes to a half hour - drained under cold water and peeled! PERFECT! I had perfect hard boiled eggs!!!!
[caption id="attachment_636" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs[/caption]
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Rachel (vegetarian daughter) got egg salad for lunch today!!!! Going out after work to buy a dozen new eggs and trying this strategy again!
Just as a side note -- I feel compelled to share with you that even though everyone will eat eggs in my house -- no one will eat them cooked the same way. Katie will only eat scrambled or omelettes; Rachel won't eat omelette's - only basted! Neither of them eat the yolks so I have to cook them well though one yolk is okay -- but don't give them 2 or more yolks. It's very confusing! I need to go buy some more frying pans for the restaurant that I'm running in my home!!!
Whichever way you choose to make your eggs, and you can make them many different ways on many different days, do like I do and just . . . .

I Am My Own Science Experiment

Before I recommend anything, I need to try it out first and make sure that it does what it's supposed to be doing. I tried the Paleo Diet and Raw Living, before I would even recommend it to anyone. I saw changes in myself and my health and so did people that I would come in to contact who knew me prior to making the changes. My arthritic pain is gone and my stamina and energy are off the charts. People want to know what I'm doing, so that's how this blog was born! Do I recommend eliminating foods in your diet that make you ill! Yes! How do I know? Because I was my own science experiment. And it works!
Once my pain was gone and my energy increased, so did my workouts! And I worried about that. I worried if I was eating enough calories to sustain me during my workouts. And I worried if I would be able to recover well after my workouts. But even though I had increased energy -- by 4:00 p.m. I was usually zonked. I wake up every morning around 5:15 so that's almost 12 hours of being awake and on the go! And my Zumba class is at 7:00 p.m.! HELP!! How am I going to do this? I'd brew some tea and hope the caffeine would wake me up. Sometimes it did -- most times it did not.

And Then I Found It . . . . .

Just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I had the answer in the palm of my hands the whole time!!! All I had to do was "click my sneakers" together and say, "I want more strength, I want more strength"! And "Poof"! I got more strength! Okay -- not really. But almost!! It seems that one of the books that I'm constantly recommending had the answer in it all the whole time!!! Ani Phyo had the explanation and the answer that I was looking for.

Ani explained that for optimal energy, you need to pair sugars with fats 20 minutes before you exercise. This is the most important lesson I needed to learn.

She goes on to say that you should eat higher sugar, higher calorie fruits (dates, bananas, plums, pears, pineapple, orange, mango) with a fat source (nuts, seeds or nut butters, coconut oil, or coconut milk) for longer, sustained energy. Try to eat these sugars 20 minutes prior to a workout for a longer performance. She then goes on to recommend that you add green tea or cocoa because the caffeine inside both of these are a known physical performance booster (but don't overdo it -- you'll blow out your adrenals). She also recommends other tips for maximizing endurance and energy, but we can touch on those another time.
So the point of all of this leads me to this . . . what I'm now calling "The Magic Elixer". And how do I know it's a Magic Elixer? Because I am the science experiment who's been trying this out for about 5 weeks now AND IT WORKS!! My stamina and recovery have been unsurpassed!!!

Here's the recipe for Ani Phyo's Banana, Spinach, Chocolate Power Smoothie now known as my "Magic Elixer"!

2 cups bananas, from about 2 whole (I use 1 - 1 1/2 bananas)
1 cup spinach leaves, washed well (I use Kale)
1/4 cup almond butter, raw (I use 1/2 cup almonds)
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 teaspoon spirulina powder (or wheat grass powder)
3 cups Thai baby coconut water, or filtered water
1 cup ice, optional
Place all ingredients, except ice, into a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Add ice, if using, and blend to mix well. Enjoy immediately.
[caption id="attachment_611" align="alignright" width="150"] Ani Phyo's Banana, Spinach, Chocolate Power Smoothie[/caption]
Will keep for 1 day, sealed tightly, in the fridge.
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* A note from me . . .
Ani recommends doing this 20 minutes before a workout. I recommend drinking it at least an hour before so it will be settled in your stomach and you don't feel sick.
I can't stress the importance of the above smoothie recipe if anyone wants to "up their game". I started drinking this an hour before my workout and found my endurance to be off the charts. The science experiment worked!!! I feel like I know a dirty little secret - especially when I hear people around me saying things like "they're off their game today", or "they're just out of it today" and here I am -- ready and willing to keep going! I knew it was time to share it. I totally recommend that everyone who works out, include this recipe in your diet! I also highly recommend drinking water before and during your workouts to keep hydrated.
The most important thing that one can do when drinking this smoothie and working out is to . . .

Cause: Working Out . . . Effect: Sweating = Good Thing!

I always worked out. Even during both of my pregnancies. Growing up, we had PE (Physical Education) every single day. Not like today's society, where PE is an "elective". And after school -- we were sent outside to play.
I grew up in an environment where there was a playground right outside my door. We'd run around, ride bikes, roller skate (not blade, mind you, but actually skate), we'd play sports . . . punch ball was a great "Brooklyn" sport, baseball, paddle ball, tag, jump rope, catch, dodge ball -- whatever it was -- we entertained ourselves by being active!! We came home in time for dinner and then did our homework in the evening.
However, sometime in the '70's everything changed. Moms went back to work to help support the family. Dinners were frozen and popped into a toaster oven for convenience. Snacks were cookies, chips, candy and Hostess cupcakes. My mother did not go back to work and she did cook a meal every night. That usually consisted of 1/2 grapefruit as an appetizer, some meat, chicken or fish, canned colorless mushy vegetables and then canned fruit for dessert. I don't remember ever getting a salad. Lettuce and tomatoes and onions were saved for sandwiches or hamburgers. As time went on, Mom bought frozen vegetables which were so much better than the canned stuff -- but she really did boil the life out of them! Burger King, McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken popped up in my neighborhood. Immediate gratification became the norm. Had a craving? Squelch it with "fast food".
But I digress. I really wanted to talk about the importance of "Sweating" . . working out. I always worked out. Sometimes I maintained a decent weight -- but most of the time I didn't. As I've always said, "If I didn't work so hard at staying 'chunky', I would be obese!" When when I hit 50 -- the pain in my knees got so bad. I associated that pain with getting older and too much working out whether it be 4 miles on the treadmill or Walking AT Home with Leslie Sansone. I figured the severe pain I felt in my knees must be from the "jarring" they're enduring from my workouts.
About the same time, I tried Zumba. I loved it! It was fun and exciting. However, after 15 minutes of doing this, I couldn't breathe, I was beat red, the sweat was pouring out of me, I'd need a break - a sip of water, wipe the sweat away and go back to the class. Twenty minutes later, I'd need another break. Same thing . . . can't breath, etc. I just told myself that I'm not used to the fast pace and if I keep at this and get really good at this -- I won't need the breaks anymore.
That never happened . . .

UNTIL . . . →↓

I changed my diet 3 years later.

Once I eliminated wheat, grains, soy, dairy, legumes, peanuts and alcohol (First through The Paleo Diet and now through eating RAW) - my arthritic pain disappeared (within 3 days) and my stamina and endurance prevailed! My Migraines totally disappeared. I suffered with Migraines my whole life! I can now do 1 full hour of Zumba - 4 times a week plus I've done 2 hour Master Classes and I can do 4-5 miles of Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home.

If I can do this -- so can you. You will feel so much healthier, better, leaner, lighter, REJUVENATED AND WELL(NESS)!!

I truly believe in working up a good (great) sweat! Sweating is great for you! I will be dedicating a lot of discussions to different avenues of working out and will have guest bloggers who specialize in different types of workouts. I have wonderful hints, tips and recipes to post for you. Stay tuned for those. It's so exciting!

The most important aspect about working out is to find something that you truly love to do and . . .

Black Friday!

Today -- the day after Thanksgiving is known as "Black Friday, but it's also a day for leftovers!! I actually had to go to work so I brought my leftovers with me. Today, in my Tupperware,
I brought my leftover "Meatless Meatloaf" and my "Individual Vegan Orange Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes with Candied Maple Pecans". When I linked this recipe to my Thanksgiving post, it was for a casserole. I decided to to make these as individual servings where I can put them out on a platter and have people grab their own portion. It looked like this when I pulled it out of the oven . . .
[caption id="attachment_553" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Individual Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecans[/caption]
I also never got to post a photo of the Lemon Garlic Stringbeans I made for Thanksgiving either. Here's a blurry photo of it.
[caption id="attachment_555" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Lemon Garlic Stringbeans[/caption]

They were delicious and went quickly. Next time I make this -- I will double the recipe.

I also figured that there would be plenty of desserts on hand at our Thanksgiving feast, but none that would be good for my gluten-free/dairy-free daughter, so I whipped up a batch of my favorite Double Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies by Elena's Pantry. However, I didn't have cherries on hand, so I made it with cranberries. Delish. Here's a photo of them cooling on a wire rack.

All in all, dinner was delicious and I love spending it with friends and family (and dogs -- lots of dogs)! I hope that everyone had a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving and that you come up with wonderful recipes for your leftovers! Now -- off to Black Friday Shopping!!!

Gluten Free Coconut Flour Pancakes

Sleeping in late . . . watching the Macy's Day Parade . . . making pancakes . . . watching The National Dog Show (picking our favorites) . . . spending time in the kitchen "uncooking", cooking and baking . . . getting together later with friends and family . . . giving "thanks" . . . that's what Thanksgiving is to me.
Our normal routine of my husband making pancakes for everyone has switched. It now has become my destiny to fulfill that position as I make the most delicious Gluten-free, dairy-free Coconut Flour Pancakes.
[caption id="attachment_513" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes[/caption]
*Note -- if you have an egg allergy -- this recipe is not for you until I figure out how to do this with "flax eggs". I found this recipe months ago from one of my favorite blog sites Lillian's Test Kitchen. I needed to make pancakes that my gluten-free, dairy-free daughter could eat. It turns out, this is the only pancakes I make now. What I love about Lillian is that she also posts a video of her test-driving the recipe. I find a visual often helps me.
Try out this recipe! It's so worth it. I use real maple syrup with these pancakes. Lillian tops hers with pure coconut oil!
Now on to dinner . . .
Yesterday I posted that I had a "Meatless Meatloaf" recipe floating around my brain. I got home from work early yesterday, so I put pen to paper and ingredients to work and actually came out with a pretty delicious "Meatless Meatloaf". I decided to put all the flavors in that I would use to make in a regular meatloaf together minus the meat, breadcrumbs and eggs. Below is my recipe . . .

Meatless Meatloaf

(An original recipe by Me!)
2 cups Walnuts
16 oz. mushrooms (I used sliced baby Portobellas - on sale)
Mirepoix Flavors
1/2 large onion diced
2 celery stalks diced
1-2 carrots diced (I used 1 huge carrot)
Herb flavors
3-4 cloves garlic diced
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. oregano
1/2 tbsp. sea salt (or kosher salt or regular salt)
black pepper to taste
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Flax Egg (directions will follow recipe)
Add the Mirepoix ingredients (carrot, celery, onion) along with the garlic into the foodprocessor and pulse to desired texture. I diced mine pretty fine.
[caption id="attachment_516" align="aligncenter" width="112"] Diced Mirepoix[/caption]
Transfer to large mixing bowl. Add the walnuts and mushrooms into the foodprocessor and pulse until you get the consistency of ground meat (but don't overdo, it will come out creamed. I left some "chunk" in mine).
Combine in mixing bowl with the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Mix to incorporate. Add all the spices, the 1/4 cup olive oil and the flax egg*. Mix together.
Transfer mixture into a bread baking pan sprayed with Olive Oil to prevent sticking (I use glass, but feel free to use what you have. May have to make adjustments in cooking if using metal or teflon).
Bake for 1 hour at 350º. Let cool for 5 minutes for loaf to set. Serve and enjoy with your favorite meatloaf side dish. Store leftovers in refrigerator.
[caption id="attachment_519" align="alignleft" width="150"] Meatless Meatloaf[/caption]
*For those of you who are allergic to eggs, flax eggs are the perfect substitute. I use the technique from Bonzai Aphrodite. For those of you that are not allergic to eggs -- feel free to add eggs to this recipe.
**This recipe came out delicious. I baked it for my daughters, but I know, that in the future, I can make this "raw" by simply forming the "meat" into burgers and dehydrate them at 115º for about 6-8 hours (though I will have to experiment with that to get exact cooking time).
I hope you experiment outside your comfort zone and try Fluffy Coconut Pancakes and my Meatless Meatloaf as well as experimenting with Flax Eggs. The most important thing, however, is that you

Gobble Gobble

I'm truly not a fanatic when it comes to eating RAW and on occasion, I will eat meat (Paleo) and I really do love Thanksgiving Turkey. However, I have one daughter who will not eat any animal that was once living except for fish. So finding recipes are always a challenge.
Last year, I did make her a Tofurkey dinner
[caption id="attachment_477" align="alignright" width="150"] Tofurkey[/caption]
and she truly enjoyed it, but I'm not thrilled with it because it's made with Soy. So I will not be doing that this year. This year, I will be experimenting with a new recipe that's floating around my head for a "Meatless Meatloaf". I will post that recipe only if it comes out tasty and delicious!
In the meantime -- I will be bringing a couple of vegetarian dishes to my Thanksgiving Get Together. And yes -- they will be "cooked". I've been requested not to bring "raw" dishes to the feast!!
The first dish I am making is Vegan Orange Cinnamon Sweet Potatos with Candied Maple Pecans from one of my favorite Bloggers The Blender Girl. However, I will be cutting this recipe in half.
[caption id="attachment_478" align="alignnone" width="150"] Vegan Sweet Potatoes[/caption]
**This recipe calls for Candied Maple Pecans so I'm including the link to that as well. I hope they make it into the salad!!
[caption id="attachment_480" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Candied Maple Pecans[/caption]
The second recipe is also from The Blender Girl and that is for Lemon Garlic String Beans (The Blender Girl always has a "Piggy Tip" on the bottom of her posts. Click on them for same amazing "tips").
[caption id="attachment_479" align="alignnone" width="150"] Lemon Garlic String Beans[/caption]
Whatever it is you're serving on this Thanksgiving or cooking to bring to a Thanksgiving Meal -- please remember to give "Thanks" for the wonderful food, friends and family and most of all . . .

Enjoy!!

Michele ♥

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

My thoughts and prayers are with those who suffered from Hurricane Sandy this year. I know Thanksgiving may not be what it was in the past. Hopefully, next year will be better.

Prebiotics and Probiotics

Probiotics
If you're going to take away anything from eating raw -- this is the most important information one can come away with. As I read Ani Phyo's "15-day Fat Blast",
[caption id="attachment_435" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Ani Phyo's 15 Day Fat Blast[/caption]
I found the subject of Prebiotics and Probiotics to be fascinating. Especially because they aid in fat loss and weight loss (and that's SUCH A GOOD THING!)!
"A healthy gut also means waste is eliminated properly, rather than being stored in our belly and colon. Many of us hold onto 5 to 25 pounds of fecal matter in our bellies, depending on our diet and weight. Imagine how much lighter we could be when we let that all go", says Ani Phyo in Chapter 3 of Ani's 15-day Fat blast. She goes on to say, "Our metabolisms (and hence weight) are affected by the mix of bacteria in our gut, and probiotics are a promising tool in helping to regulate weight gain by providing more of the good guys, more of the 'Bots' (Ani calls probiotics and prebiotics 'Bots' as in fighting robots). In short, probiotics are believed to be a key weapon in fighting obesity, extracting more nutrition from our food, maintaining strong immune function, and protecting your body from chronic inflammation I like to envision these bacterial beneficiaries as little 'Bots' that are eating up belly fat and other unwanted extras in our bodies. They are doing the battle for us" . . .(I picture it as Pacman eating up the belly fat and unwanted extra's in our body).
So, how do we get these good 'bots' into our body?
ProbioticsFermented Soy ProductsMiso
Soy sauce
Fremented Drinks:KombachaKefirFermented vegetables:Kimchi
Pickles
Sauerkraut
Capers
Other Sources:
Apple cider vinegar, raw
Nutritional Yeast*
Chocolate*
*Nutritional yeast should not be confused with brewer's yeast or yeast used in baking. It is a yellow, flaky yeast that has a delicious "cheesy" flavor. It is a great source of Vitamin B. I use it sprinkled on my salads for a nice cheesy flavor. I also use it in my "nut cheese".
*Use dark chocolate or "raw" chocolate and cocao powder.
Prebiotics"Prebiotics are substances in foods, often fibers or sugars, which promote the growth or activity of good bacteria in your body".What To Eat
Asparagus
Bananas
Berries
Burdock
Chicory Root
Flaxseed
Garlic, onion, leeks
Honey
Jerusalem artichokes
Jicama
Tomatoes
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For years, I was taught that "fats" are bad for you. "Fat make you fat", they would say. When my father suffered his first heart attack at age 48, they took him off coconut oil and palm oil. That was considered very bad for you. After that, my mother followed the rules and diet of The American Heart Association. He suffered a second, nearly fatal heart attack at age 52.
Thirty years later, research is coming back and telling us now that Coconut Oil and Palm Oil are very good for you. In fact, coconut oil has benefits that fight infection and research show that including coconut oil in your daily diet may slow down the signs of Alzheimers and Dementia. Watch this video on that subject.
Coconut Oil and Palm Oil are now classified as MCFA's. MCFA's are the third weight loss tool. See below:
MCFA's
MCFA's are good fats! Now I know that's an oxymoron, but it's true. There are such things as "good fats"! These fats may actually also aid in weight loss -- keeping you satisfied and fuller longer. Our bodies "burn" these fats and not "store" these fats. They have 'thermogenic" qualities because they increase "heat" in the body and increase energy expenditure (burning calories).
And here is the 4th and final weight loss tool . . . MUFAs and Omega 3s. . .
MUFAs are saturated fats which improve insulin levels and blood sugar. They are particularly helpful for type 2 diabetics.
Omega 3s are great for brain health, but they also stimulate the production of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate metabolism and weight.
MCFA'sCoconut MilkCoconut OilPalm kernal oilMUFAs
Avocados
Olive oil
Seeds
Omega 3s
Flaxseed or Flaxmeal
Soybeans (cooked or sprouted -- never raw)
Walnuts

Thermogenic Foods

Thermogenic foods are "Rocket Fuels" according to Ani Phyo. If you eat the right foods -- they will actually accelerate your metabolism. You've heard that eating chili's or spicy foods will accelerate weight loss. That's basically the same thing. Thermogenic foods are fat-burning foods. Chili's and green tea are two thermogenic foods.
Here are more:
Black pepper
Caffeine
Calcium rich foods such as blackstrap molasses; collard, mustard, and turnip greens, sesame seeds; spinach
Cayenne
Grapefruit
Ginger
Green tea
Ice Water
Lean protein like buckwheat groats, brown rice protein powder, and seeds
Turmeric
Vitamin D-rich mushrooms including shiitake.
Dr. Weil
I caught, quite by accident, an episode of Dr. Weil on Dr. Oz's show. He was discussing the benefits of pre- and probiotics. He recommends eating pistachio nuts as a prebiotic. I am attaching that story as well.